Coming Home: Mandy Gonzalez

Prologue

Mandy's POV
April 15, 1996

I woke up with a stomach ache. I rarely got sick so I went and woke up my mom. It was a Monday so I had school, unless I could convince my parents to let me stay home.

"Mama?" I said, shaking my mom's shoulder. "Mama...wake up." It was only 5:15am so I knew she'd be grouchy but I needed her.

"What time is it..?" She grumbled, looking at the clock on her nightstand. "Mandy, go back to bed. I know it's a school day, but you don't have to get up for another hour."

"Mama, I don't feel good. My stomach hurts and I feel like I might throw up." I said.

"Mandy, it's too early for this. Go back to bed." My mom turned over and tears filled my eyes.

"Mama..." I whimpered. "Please..." Mom finally turned back over.

"Okay. If you really don't feel well, you'll let me take you to the doctor's office."

"Fine. Deal." I said and Mom nodded.

"Okay. Go back to sleep and I'll make the appointment. I'll get you up when it's time to get ready."

I headed back to bed.

January 15, 1996
(Flashback)

My boyfriend and I were hanging out at his house. His parents were at work and my parents trusted me. "Hey, Mandy, do you think we could, y'know...have sex again?" He asked. I nodded. I loved Marcus. Or, at least I thought I did. He and I had been together since I was 16 and now I was turning 18. Our one year anniversary had already passed. We'd had sex a few times before as well, so I was comfortable with his request.

Things quickly progressed and we forgot a condom. But the sex had been great.

April 15, 1996

Mom woke me up at 10:30 and told me it was time to go to the doctor's. I got up and we headed off.

At the doctor's, Mom stayed in the waiting room while I went in. "Mandy, when did you last have your period?"

I tried to remember but couldn't. It had been a few months. "Too long ago to remember...that can't be good, right?" I said.

"Well, would you be willing to take a pregnancy test? You don't have to tell your mom you took it or what the results are today. You can tell your parents when you're ready." My doctor said. I nodded. "Okay. Let me just get one for you." She walked out and came back a couple minutes later with a box containing a pregnancy test. She then led me to the bathroom and stood outside while I took it. When I finished, I flushed the toilet and walked back out. The two of us went back to the room and waited for the results.

When the results came through, I looked at the instructions to see if I could figure it out. My doctor then looked at it. "Mandy, that's positive." She said and put her hand on my back, rubbing it in a comforting way.

"Can you please go get my mom for me?" I asked.

"Of course." I watched her leave as tears streamed down my cheeks. I wasn't ready for this.

The moment I saw my mom, my soft cries turned into sobs. "Mama, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen." I said.

"Mandy, baby...what's going on?" Mom asked, taking my hand in hers.

"I'm pregnant, Mama. I'm sorry."

My mom took me into a protective hug and I just cried into her shoulder. "It's gonna be okay baby girl. I promise. Everything is going to be okay."

"Can I give the baby up for adoption? But an open adoption? That way I can still be in the baby's life just not as it's mother?"

"Of course. I think that's a brilliant idea, love. And I know this is gonna be hard, but you are the strongest girl I know. Don't tell Monica or Anthony this, but you've always been the closest one to my heart."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better." I sniffled. "Or because I'm the youngest."

"Or I'm saying it because it's absolutely true. Monica and Anthony always preferred to be with your dad. But you always stuck by my side. You have always been a mama's girl and I love that." I let out a soft giggle. "Now, let's get you home honey. We can set up an ultrasound appointment and then we can go from there, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you Mama."

"Of course princess."